Tractor fire leads to damage to Eastville Volunteer Fire Company

A tractor fire in downtown Eastville Tuesday morning resulted in severe damage to the Eastville Volunteer Fire Company.

According to Eastville Town Manager Rob Stubbs, a farmer was traveling in a tractor on Route 13 when he noticed the engine was smoking. The driver of the tractor then proceeded to drive the tractor down Courthouse Road to the Eastville Fire Company for assistance.

After getting to the site, local volunteer firemen and good samaritans worked to extinguish the fire, which reportedly was started by a birds nest built underneath the engine hood.

A local volunteer firefighter with Eastville went to move a truck, which had a side box left open after an individual had removed a fire extinguisher, and accidentally struck the column in between the two bays of the building, causing an I-beam and several rows of bricks to collapse.

“The truck was backed into the dark building, during broad day light hours,” said Stubbs. “It’s hard to see in the dark like that.”

No one was hurt in the fire or the property damage accident. No charges have been filed.

The Eastville Volunteer Firemen worked most of the afternoon to stabilize the structure.

According to Bubba Frisbee with the Eastville Volunteer Fire Department, the accident unveiling improper construction of the building back in the 1970s. The beam should not have fallen from the damage that was done. Frisbee said the Eastville VFD is one of the few stations that hasn’t built a new building in recent years, which is an issue because fire vehicles have become much larger than they once were.